The Penelopes

The Penelopes - Axel Basquiat and Vincent T - make shimmering electro pop, with plenty of indie influences. Originally from Paris, they moved to London to finish their new album Never Live Another Yesterday. It was mixed by The Vaccines/Scissor Sisters/Lana Del Ray collaborator Dan Grech-Marguerat who was seduced by their international yet very French sound, and features Laura Kidd as guest vocalist. The Penelopes love playing live and Axel has a gorgeously growly deep voice as well as the kind of stage persona that sees him dubbed “The Black Iggy Pop”. The duo are playing a series of London gigs this month including one for Oxjam at the Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen on 25th September.

The Penelopes have just done a remix of the band Glitches’ track - Dust & Shadow. Free download here.

Walking into The Penelopes’ London studio is like entering a treasure trove of some of the most quirky, revered and interesting-sounding kit from the past few decades. They weave it all in to tracks like their latest single Summer Life.

We were totally amazed at their collection, yet they say they only brought half of their gear over from Paris! If you’re called Axel, then having a Roland AX-1 keytar is a must.

They showed us round the prized items that are the key to their sound, and told us all about their inspirations and how they put their music together. Full interview out soon.